News

Metropolitan Hilarion foresees schism in Orthodoxy compared to the Great Schism if Ukrainian schismatics obtain autocephaly

Moscow, May 4, Interfax - Head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion believes that if Ukrainian schismatics obtain desired autocephaly schism in global Orthodoxy will be compared to the Great Schism of 1054.

"It is terrific even to imagine what can happen if scenario of granting autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics will be realized in practice. (...) Schism in global Orthodoxy that will be inevitable consequence of this wrong step, can be compared only to the split between East and West in 1054. If it happens, Orthodox unity will be buried," the metropolitan said answering the questions of Greek Romfea church news agency.

The hierarch prays and hopes that "unilateral position of Local Orthodox Churches that was more than once expressed in the past will save Ecumenical Orthodoxy from the schism", and "this unilateral position will sooner or later bring schismatics back to the Church."

The metropolitan noted that the project of the so-called one local church in Ukraine is initiated by acting authorities, schismatic groups and Greek Catholics.

"Politicians see in it a happy opportunity to start electoral campaign at the backstage of deteriorating economic situation in the country. Schismatics supported by authorities continue seizing churches of canonical Church in Ukraine, they need legalization and support of any canonical Church of the Orthodox world," he said.

According to Metropolitan Hilarion, uniates consider union of schism and obtaining an official status for it in Orthodox world as a project aimed at subordinating Orthodoxy to Rome.

The metropolitan believes that true state of spiritual life in the canonical Ukrainian Church and in Ukrainian schism can be seen if we compare the number of monks.

"Today there are about 5000 monks in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The so-called Kiev Patriarchate has 200 people residing in monasteries, while the so-called Autocephalous Church has 15 people for 12 monasteries. The mass media often refer to the data, for which certain sponsors of sociological polls have paid. However, the data they cite cannot be compared to the things we see with our own eyes that can be easily checked," he said.

According to him, millions of Orthodox believers stand behind the canonical Church in Ukraine and "it is proved by large-scaled processions with cross organized by canonical Church in Ukraine which attract hundreds of thousands believers."

"Why our brothers in Constantinople are not interested in the opinion of these millions of believers? Granting authocephaly to schism despite the will of the canonical Church from which it has split does not have any future. It will not lead to the Orthodox unity, but to deepening of existing divisions and further destabilization of Ukrainian society," the hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church believes.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Ukrainian Orthodox Church chapel in Zhitomir Region vandalized 23 January 2019, 14:00
• Patriarch of Jerusalem personally blesses canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church believers 22 January 2019, 17:59
• New church of Ukraine in contact with SBU, but doesn't coordinate actions – Filaret 21 January 2019, 12:39
• Group of Ukrainian parliamentarians challenges constitutionality of law obliging Ukrainian Orthodox Church to change its name 21 January 2019, 12:06
• Patriarch of Antioch says opposes actions aimed at dividing Orthodox 18 January 2019, 14:34
• Most valuables not missing from Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - deputy minister 18 January 2019, 14:32
• Putin invited to Belgrade to attend consecration of Cathedral of Saint Sava 18 January 2019, 14:15
• Church takeovers leitmotif of Ukrainian presidential campaign - Russian Orthodox Church 18 January 2019, 14:07
• Enthronement of Yepifaniy to be held on Feb 3 18 January 2019, 12:16
• Russia to return page of ancient Gospel to Serbia, Belgrade to return Roerich's pictures to Russia – Putin 18 January 2019, 12:13
• Ukraine's Opposition Bloc to appeal bill on subordination of religious communities to Constitutional Court 17 January 2019, 17:31
• Ukrainian law on joining new church makes seizing churches easier - Ukrainian Orthodox Church 17 January 2019, 17:24
• Rada passes bill on transition of communities from one church to another 17 January 2019, 17:12
• Attempts are being made to divide Antioch Church - al-Assad 17 January 2019, 15:02
• Georgian Church to voice stance on Ukrainian autocephaly, govt not interfering - FM 16 January 2019, 18:58
• Metropolitan of Zaporozhye accuses Ukraine of attempt to 'drag God by his beard' 16 January 2019, 16:11
• Ukraine wants to re-register Kiev-Pechersk Lavra or take it away from UOC of Moscow Patriarchate - Metropolitan Pavel 16 January 2019, 16:03
• Putin describes establishment of new church in Ukraine as 'dangerous politicking' (updated) 16 January 2019, 13:43
• Inter-confessional accord in Ukraine sacrificed to Poroshenko's campaign - Putin 16 January 2019, 11:15
• Poroshenko guarantees protection to those who remain faithful to Moscow Patriarchate 15 January 2019, 16:50
• Homeless man detained on suspicion of setting fire to building at Kiev-Pechersk Lavra 15 January 2019, 14:25
• Fire at Kiev-Pechersk Lavra's building contained to area of 400 sq m 14 January 2019, 21:02
• Kiev-Pechersk Lavra's 2-storey building on fire 14 January 2019, 19:06
• Rights activists report detention of 40 LGBT in Chechnya, Grozny official says it's 'absolute lie' 14 January 2019, 15:13
• Poroshenko decorates 2 metropolitans who joined new church from UOC with Order of Prince Yaroslav Mudry 14 January 2019, 13:41
• Media review: "Metropolitan Hilarion: Russian Orthodox Church was born in Kiev, not in Moscow or St. Petersburg" 14 January 2019, 12:14
• The Ukrainian Orthodox Church compared Ukraine's new church to "Titanic" 11 January 2019, 18:52
• Georgian president doesn't hurry to congratulate Ukraine on granting autocephaly 11 January 2019, 18:47
• Culture Minister's statement on icons missing from Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is provocation - Ukrainian Orthodox Church 11 January 2019, 17:35
• Georgian Church needs time to decide on recognizing Ukraine's autocephaly 10 January 2019, 14:39

Other news